U.S. patent application number 15/103724 was filed with the patent office on 2016-10-27 for composite tensioner arm or guide for timing drive application.
The applicant listed for this patent is BORGWARNER INC.. Invention is credited to Sean SIMMONS.
Application Number | 20160312863 15/103724 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53403565 |
Filed Date | 2016-10-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160312863 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SIMMONS; Sean |
October 27, 2016 |
COMPOSITE TENSIONER ARM OR GUIDE FOR TIMING DRIVE APPLICATION
Abstract
A body of a tensioner arm or guide having a plurality of layers
of continuous fiber material. Each layer has fibers oriented in a
single direction and extending a majority of a length or width of
the material. The fibers of each of the plurality of layers are
oriented in a direction other than the orientation of the fibers of
adjoining layers of the plurality of layers.
Inventors: |
SIMMONS; Sean; (Cortland,
NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BORGWARNER INC. |
Auburn Hills |
MI |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
53403565 |
Appl. No.: |
15/103724 |
Filed: |
December 15, 2014 |
PCT Filed: |
December 15, 2014 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US2014/070333 |
371 Date: |
June 10, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61916436 |
Dec 16, 2013 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16H 7/08 20130101; F16H
2007/0872 20130101; F16H 2007/185 20130101; F16H 7/18 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F16H 7/18 20060101
F16H007/18; F16H 7/08 20060101 F16H007/08 |
Claims
1. A tensioner arm or guide comprising a body having a plurality of
layers of continuous fiber material, each layer having fibers
oriented in a single direction and extending a majority of a length
or width of the material, the fibers of each of the plurality of
layers being oriented in a direction other than the orientation of
the fibers of adjoining layers of the plurality of layers.
2. The arm or guide of claim 1, wherein the fibers are glass.
3. The arm or guide of claim 1, wherein the fibers are carbon.
4. The arm or guide of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of
bodies coupled through continuous fiber material.
5. The arm or guide of claim 4, wherein the body is "I" shaped.
6. The arm or guide of claim 4, wherein the body is "C" shaped.
7. The arm or guide of claim 4, wherein the body is box shaped.
8. The arm or guide of claim 4, wherein the body is tube
shaped.
9. The arm or guide of claim 1, further comprising a contact
surface coupled to the body.
10. The arm or guide of claim 9, wherein the body is for a
tensioner arm and the contact surface is a piston pad.
11. The arm or guide of claim 9, wherein the contact surface is a
sliding surface for receiving a belt or a chain.
12. The arm or guide of claim 9, wherein the contact surface is a
boss for receiving a pivot.
13. The arm or guide of claim 9, wherein the contact surface is a
boss for receiving a bolt.
Description
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims one or more inventions which were
disclosed in Provisional Application No. 61/916,436, filed Dec. 16,
2013, entitled "COMPOSITE TENSIONER ARM OR GUIDE FOR TIMING DRIVE
APPLICATION". The benefit under 35 USC .sctn.119(e) of the United
States provisional application is hereby claimed, and the
aforementioned application is hereby incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention pertains to the field of tensioner arms or
guides. More particularly, the invention pertains to a composite
tensioner arm or guide for a timing driving application.
[0004] 2. Description Of Related Art
[0005] Many prior art tensioner arms or guides are made of steel or
thermoplastic/resin reinforced with fibers. The fibers may be short
or long and are interspersed throughout the thermoplastic or resin.
The fibers may consist of glass, graphite, aramid, or carbon.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A body of a tensioner arm or guide having a plurality of
layers of continuous fiber material. Each layer has fibers oriented
in a single direction and extending a majority of a length or width
of the material. The fibers of each of the plurality of layers are
oriented in a direction other than the orientation of the fibers of
adjoining layers of the plurality of layers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a tensioner arm made from
continuous fiber materials.
[0008] FIG. 2 shows another perspective view of a tensioner arm
made from continuous fiber materials.
[0009] FIG. 3 shows side view of a tensioner arm made from
continuous fiber materials.
[0010] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a guide made from
continuous fiber materials.
[0011] FIG. 5 shows another perspective view of a guide made from
continuous fiber materials.
[0012] FIG. 6 shows a side view of a guide made from continuous
fiber materials.
[0013] FIGS. 7a and 7b shows a schematic of layering the
unidirectional tape. FIG. 7b shows a cross-section of FIG. 7a.
[0014] FIG. 8 shows a portion of a tensioner arm body of a first
embodiment.
[0015] FIG. 9 shows a portion of a tensioner arm body with an
increased thickness a second embodiment.
[0016] FIG. 10 shows a portion of tensioner arm of another
embodiment in which two bodies are attached through continuous
fiber materials.
[0017] FIG. 11 shows a portion of an "I" shaped tensioner arm made
of multiple continuous fiber materials.
[0018] FIG. 12 shows a "C" shaped tensioner arm made of multiple
continuous fiber materials.
[0019] FIG. 13 shows a box shaped tensioner arm made of multiple
continuous fiber materials.
[0020] FIG. 14 shows a tubular shaped tensioner arm made of
multiple continuous fiber materials.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] FIGS. 1-3 show a one piece tensioner arm 3 made from
continuous fiber materials and FIGS. 4-6 show a one piece guide 13
made from continuous fiber materials. The tensioner arm 3 has a
body 2 made from a continuous fiber material 20, for example a
unidirectional tape. The continuous fiber material is built up in
layers to provide sufficient support of the chain or belt load, for
example in bending, shear and torsion. The body 2, 12 replaces a
traditional body of an arm 3 or guide 13 of the prior art with the
same stiffness or load capacity.
[0022] The unidirectional tape or continuous fiber material 20 has
fibers 10, for example glass or carbon fiber, in which a majority
of the fibers run in a single direction and are held in a
thermoplastic substrate 11 as shown in FIGS. 7a-7b. The fibers 10
are preferably straight and uncrimped. Each layer of unidirectional
tape 20 is a single ply and therefore has fibers in a single
direction (either across the entire length or the entire width of
the tape). The direction of the fibers 10 may be varied by varying
the direction of the plys and placement of the tape, allowing
customizable strength and stiffness for each of the tensioner arms
or guides produced. The continuous fiber material 20 offers an
increased strength to weight ratio versus resins with short fibers,
long fibers and metallic parts.
[0023] FIG. 7a shows a side view of a body made of three layers of
unidirectional tape 20 layered such that the fibers 10 are placed
in a different direction than a previous layer. FIG. 7b shows a
cross-section of the body along line 7b-7b. A first layer 10a has
the fibers 10 in a horizontal direction relative to the paper (i.e.
crossways to the length of the tape). A second layer 10b has the
fibers 10 passing into the paper (i.e. along the length of the
tape). A third layer 10c has fibers that are layered diagonal
relative to the first and second layers 10a, 10b.
[0024] Directly attached to the body 2 of the tensioner arm is a
chain sliding face 4, a piston pad 6 and a boss 8 for receiving a
pivot (not shown). The chain sliding face 4, piston pad 6 and boss
8 for receiving a pivot may be made of thermoplastic resin and may
be overmolded onto the body 2. The bond between the body 2 and the
chain sliding face 4, piston pad 6 and boss 8 may be through
melting and/or chemical adhesion or by mechanical lock through
interlock cuts in the body 2. The body 2 may also have the chain
sliding face 4, piston pad 6 and boss 8 deposited or "grown" onto
the body which acts as a substrate, for example using an additive
manufacturing process.
[0025] Directly attached to the body 12 of the guide 13, as shown
in FIGS. 4-6, is a chain sliding face 14, a first boss 17 at a
first end of the body 12 and a second boss 19 at a second end of
the body 12 each for receiving a bolt (not shown) for securing the
guide 13 to the engine. The chain sliding face 14, first boss 17
and second boss 19 may be made of thermoplastic resin and may be
overmolded onto the body 12. The bond between the body 12 and the
chain sliding face 14, first boss 17 and second boss 19 may be
through melting and/or chemical adhesion or by mechanical lock
through interlock cuts in the body 12. The body 12 may also have
the chain sliding face 14, first boss 17 and second boss 19
deposited or "grown" onto the body 12 which acts as a substrate,
for example using an additive manufacturing process.
[0026] Alternatively, the boss 8 and piston pad 6 may be eliminated
if the body 2 of the tensioner arm 3 is increased in thickness. In
one embodiment, a single body is increased in thickness. FIG. 9
shows a body 22 which has a thickness T, where the thickness T of
the body 22 provides a surface area for adequate contact with a
piston and a hole 28 with adequate contact for receiving a pivot,
such that the boss 8 and piston pad 6 are not necessary. The
thickness T of the body 22 is greater than the thickness t of the
body 2 of FIG. 8 which requires a piston pad 6 and a boss 8. While
FIG. 9 shows the body 22 as being be either uniform thicker than
the body 2 of FIG. 8, only a portion of the body 22 at which
receives the boss or is coupled to the piston pad may be increased
in thickness.
[0027] Alternatively, the body may be made thicker by joining two
bodies 2 with a thickness t through additional elements, such as
continuous fiber materials 20.
[0028] Multiple body 2 pieces of continuous fiber materials 20 may
also be joined together to form other tensioner arms or guides that
are "I" shaped as shown in FIG. 11, "C" shaped as shown in FIG. 12,
box shaped as shown in FIG. 13, or tubular in shape as shown in
FIG. 14. The body pieces 2 in each of the examples shown in FIGS.
11-14 may be fixed to each other by melting or by additional
continuous fiber tape at the joints between the body pieces.
[0029] While FIGS. 8-14 were referenced as being for a tensioner
arm 3, the same shapes may also be used with a guide 13.
[0030] By forming the tensioner arm or guide of continuous fiber
material 20, the package size is reduced by approximately 50
percent. The weight can be reduced by approximately 50 percent, and
the expense of having to carry out conventional diecasting or
injection molding is reduced. The actual weight and size reduction
may vary slightly depending on the system.
[0031] It should be noted that the body 2, 12 of the one piece
tensioner arm or guide is manufactured by layering and orienting
the continuous fiber material 20 or unidirectional tape such that
the material can provide sufficient strength in bending, shear and
torsion and then cut or otherwise formed to the correct shape of
the arm 3 or guide 13 as shown in FIG. 7.
[0032] Accordingly, it is to be understood that the embodiments of
the invention herein described are merely illustrative of the
application of the principles of the invention. Reference herein to
details of the illustrated embodiments is not intended to limit the
scope of the claims, which themselves recite those features
regarded as essential to the invention.
* * * * *